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  1. Returning player (AR+/OFF–) looking for versatile rubbers for Xiom Hugo HAL [no longer: Cybershape Wood]

    I am not so old school in my recommendations of sponge thickness... for the Donic and Tibhar line... 2.1 mm thickness. A player in this era needs to be able to make spin for every kind of shot... 2.1 makes more spin easier on slow/heavy opening topspin, which should be a priority for 90%+ of...
  2. Returning player (AR+/OFF–) looking for versatile rubbers for Xiom Hugo HAL [no longer: Cybershape Wood]

    Hi @johlie You seem to be going about it alright. (Figuring out what is middle zone of appropriate for what you do and will do... and getting something at or near it) as for blades, EVERY maker has one or three wood blades in the All+ to OFF- range that will work fine for this mission. This...
  3. Calderano Signs with Joola (#139)

    I have a friend who will buy TWO of this HAL blade TODAY if you want to send it.
  4. Calderano Signs with Joola (#139)

    @IB66 You bring up an excellent discussion topic about the process of equipment selection... - Figuring out what shots count to a player, ranking them in use and importance - Figuring out what equipment makes it easier to do those shots - Getting something at or near center of mass for the...
  5. Daily Table Tennis Chit Chat

    In the decade+ that NL has not seen Der_Echte, I have developed a real mean fast BH hit using slow blades and softer rubbers... kinda defies physics, but losing 30 lbs in 2025 also defied both physics and logic give I did not give up late night after TT pizza and beers.
  6. Daily Table Tennis Chit Chat

    NL, The absolute BEAUTY of a slower blade with feeling is that you can hit HARDER and still land it. And since NL is weaker than a snail and height is 1.1 meter, NL cannot hit very hard. HAHHAHAHA. Anyone thinking that can lose to NL on the table.
  7. JPEN rolemodels/players to imitate and learn from

    PD Park (you tube amateur), Lee Jae Chul (70+ ex natl player Mapo TTC Seoul owner), Kim Taek Soo (ex-pro, you tuber) Lee Cheul Seung (Ex Natl Player, Natl Coach, Samsung Life Head Coach, you tuber with many learning series)
  8. US Open Table Tennis Championships-2025 (16–21 December 2025)

    Oh, I saw Rich Dewitt at the US Open and had one rice dinner with him.
  9. US Open Table Tennis Championships-2025 (16–21 December 2025)

    Lookin at our Admin's sig... All I want to see for Christmas is his spin, not his footwork. Ironically, Next Level would be amazed at my current footwork... I can really cover that wide wide Fh even pushing 60 yrs old... I do not think he ever saw me when I had any footwork. I only had spin and...
  10. US Open Table Tennis Championships-2025 (16–21 December 2025)

    The attraction to do the large tourneys like the US Nationals, The LA Open, The Meiklejohn Seniors, the US Open... are several. Talking Adult players and old senior players here. 1 - Social. You see old friends and have a lot of fun, meeting, talking to, and playing, plus new friends you...
  11. US Open Table Tennis Championships-2025 (16–21 December 2025)

    Any of the things a TD could do to evaluate and classify a player could be thwarted by the player simply by playing poorly in the in-person evaluator supervised session. maybe the only realistic and simple thing to do is make club-trained kid only events (much like the adult and junior events)...
  12. US Open Table Tennis Championships-2025 (16–21 December 2025)

    I didn't discuss the culture of the PARENTS. These (and the pro club coaches) drive it. many of these parents want to see their cherished kid thrive and win... as much as they can and as often as they can before the next wave of ringers buries them in the next big tourney 50 foot crushing tidal...
  13. US Open Table Tennis Championships-2025 (16–21 December 2025)

    I made that real post explaining the cause/effects of the sandbagging... but honestly, this dynamic has been going on for decades (players getting better while some do not get better or do not improve as fast as others) (new ways to train, play the sport, and compete are developed and improved...
  14. US Open Table Tennis Championships-2025 (16–21 December 2025)

    Once a kid is unleashed at the big tourney, now the kid is on the other end of the stick... kid comes out of tourney kinda rated near true level (but not high enough due to the sandbaggers) and is no longer 5 levels better than the players in the events they enter... only 2 or so until they...
  15. US Open Table Tennis Championships-2025 (16–21 December 2025)

    Hi H2GG, You have under-classified players for a few reasons. 1 - Player improving, but just cannot get to tourneys... many places in USA you need to drive 3-7 hrs to get to a tourney... so not many tourneys. A few in USA are like this. 2 - You have a professionally trained kid who does...
  16. Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄🤶

    Merry Christmas - Good Stuff.
  17. My Story: How Table Tennis England Treated Me – A Call for Change

    Somehow, I never saw this thread. Well articulated MOG. Keep making tourneys, the grassroots know you. My country's org has had decades of different CEO and boards and had to be broken up a few times by Olympic Committee.
  18. US Open Table Tennis Championships-2025 (16–21 December 2025)

    I came into this tourney rated around 1650ish. I MIGHT make 15 points out of this tourney and it is by far the best I ever did in terms of upping my performance level and the consistency to maintain it. Tourneys are difficult, big ones even more so. I was nearly 2100, but that was 5 years ago...
  19. US Open Table Tennis Championships-2025 (16–21 December 2025)

    Hahahahahhhaaaahhh, you so correct and are only showing a little of the true level of the players rated below you. A LOT of the Canadian contingent from somewhere was real extreme like this, maybe a couple of who you mentioned are above. Even the average dude, gal, or kid in your group rated...
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